Frese urged Cummings to investigate the cause of drug shortages that directly affected her family.

“My 3-year-old son Tyler is a leukemia patient who has benefitted from Cytarabine,” she wrote. “We are lucky that some of the drug was available to him. It makes me feel outraged that other families are being told this vital drug isn’t available.”

Marcia Goodman was preparing for chemotherapy when she was told her drug had run out.

“And so my heart just sank,” Goodman said.

The FDA heard from doctors frustrated by the shortage of drugs.

“Pharmaceutical representatives spend bazillions of dollars trying to influence me to buy their drug. I’ll buy ’em. I’ll use ’em. OK, just make ’em ,” said Dr. Frederick Blum, American College of Emergency Physicians.

The shortage of Cytarabine and other critically needed drugs are reportedly caused by manufacturing delays. But Cummings is targeting middleman companies that buy drugs that are in short supply and sell them at exorbitant prices, a form of drug speculation.